...on the Journey...

[ri0tdude]

Struck down but not destroyed...

I never considered myself a runner.  I wrestled in high school and running was something we did for conditioning.  Later in life, after being married and having three kids, I got back into martial arts and fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu.  I did well at tournaments and enjoyed the competition and comradery.  I would run on off days to keep my cardio up and my weight down for competition.  While training with my instructor in 2009, I tried to muscle through a technique that bent my knee sideways and I felt/heard a POP in my right knee.  It hurt.  I saw white for a second.  I sat aside for a bit and the pain subsided.  So, I jumped back in and rolled on the mats for another hour and a half.  I was in denial.  For the next few weeks I would still train and run but something wasn’t right.  My friend was a nurse practitioner and I went in to see her. She ordered an mri.  The next day she called me and said, “STOP!”  I asked her, “What are you talking about??”  She said, “Stop everything.  Stop running.  Stop jiu-jitsu!  You have a torn ACL!”

Great…….not good.  So, I sought out a reputable knee doctor and scheduled ACL reconstruction.  I had the surgery in December of 2009.  I wanted a goal to rehab the knee.  So, never having run any kind of race in my life, I put it out there that I wanted to run a marathon within a year!  So, I busted my butt in physical therapy and ran as my knee allowed me to do so.  In December of 2010, I ran my first race, a marathon, in 3 hours and 43 minutes wearing vibram five finger shoes!  I realized that I really enjoyed this running stuff!  So, I went back and raced the other distances (5k, 10k, half marathon).  I loved it and was doing pretty well!  I then started running other marathons and just wanted more.  MORE MILES!

So, I started training for my first ultramarathon.  Instead of setting my sights on a 50k, I went ahead and signed up for a 100 miler.  In December of 2013, I ran my first ultramarathon at the Cajun Coyote 100 miler.  It was tough!  It’s a rooty course and I turned my ankle around mile 40 and then around mile 60.  It was swollen and funky, but I had a race to finish.  I finished in 5th place with a time of 22 hours and 40 minutes!  I loved it!  Hurt so good!  Since then, I’ve gone back and done some 50Ks, 50 milers, other 100 mile races, Boston, and even a 126.2 miler.

Then, in 2015, I destroyed that same knee AGAIN jumping on a stupid trampoline.  This time I not only tore the repaired ACL, but I really did a number on the cartilage and meniscus too.  I had surgery and went through rehab...again.  Then I ended up having another surgery fo finish something up.  I was afraid my running career would be over, but I kept plugging away and finally got my legs back.  Since then, I’ve done two more 100s (placing 8th in one and 2nd in the other), run the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim, and a bunch of marathons and 50ks.  Now, I’m signed up for the Tahoe 200 this September with at least a 100 miler or 2 leading up to it!  I’ve got plenty of miles left in me and adventures to run!

[ri0tdude]

Setting goals is good. Setting big goals is gooder. :)

I enjoy pushing my body. I enjoy the process of training my body to achieve a goal. Achieving big things and pushing distance limits takes hard work and discipline. That discipline is not only in following a training schedule that includes many, many miles on roads and trails, flatlands and hills. It includes feeding your body what it what it needs to recover. It involves resting….strength training…..logistical prep…..gear choices….nutrition planning…..mental preparation…..all the while attempting to maintain a balanced life with marriage and family as a top priority. It’s a self inflicted test that spans the period of months and culminates in traversing between two points as fast as your body will take you. I had the privilege to do some interesting things this year. It was a busy year with lots of changes and adjustments. I got married in February and moved to Oklahoma in July and along with that a new job! How cool is that? Big adjustments to life. I ran the Louisiana Marathon for the first time in January and BQ’d wearing a superman cape. In March, I was privileged to pace for the Zydeco Marathon in Lafayette, LA. I won the 3 hour in Beast for a Day in May. I had a great time running in the heat for the Full moon 50K in Arkansas in July. I PR’d in the Arkansas Traveller 100 in October then placed second and PR’d again in the Kansas Fall Rails to Trails Ultra Extravaganza 100 three weeks later. I finished up 2018 by running the Route 66 Marathon in November and the Runner’s World Half n Half this past weekend. That’s four marathons, a 3 hour trail race, a 50K, and two 100 milers. It’s been a great year!

With that being said, I’ve signed up for a bigger challenge for 2018. When I didn’t get my sole ticket drawn for Western States, I had already decided that I would sign up for and run the Tahoe 200. I’ve always wanted to visit the awesomeness and beauty that is Lake Tahoe. What better way than immersing myself fully into running around the whole thing? In the same way that the R2R2R was a head first dive into experiencing the Grand Canyon for the first time, so it will be for Tahoe. This will be the furthest I’ve gone and will also be some of the most challenging terrain. I’m nervous and excited at the same time! There’s also still the chance Jen and I could get our names drawn for the Leadville 100 which is a month before Tahoe. We’ll just have to cross that bridge if that happens. In the meantime, I’ll be running a few marathons and at least one 100 miler(probably more) along with a hefty training plan in preparation for 200 miles of fun in September! Stay tuned…..more to come.

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Kansas Rails-to-Trails Fall Extravaganza 100 Miler!

I ran the Arkansas Traveler 100 on October 7,8 and recovered very quickly.  So, I decided I needed another race before the Route 66 marathon and the Great Mississippi River (130 miles) a week after that.  :)   I chose the Kansas Rails-to-trails fall extravaganza 100 miler.  It would be an out and back run through flatness!  When I signed up it was supposed to be cool.  Well, by the time the race weekend came around, it was FREEZING, not just cool.  When I realized that I was going to start with and finish with below freezing, I wasn’t sure how I was going to dress.  Fun.  Also, this was my first 100 mile race with no crew or pacer.  So, planning out my drop bags with nutrition, headlamps, changes of clothes, shoes, etc. would be VERY important.  I did my best to plan it, pack up, and leave straight from work on Friday for the 3 hour drive.  

I got there a little late so dinner was winding down.  I got my packet, dropped off my drop bags and visited with Wyatt H. for a bit.  He lives and puts races on in Owasso, where I work.  We were Facebook friends but had not met in person.  Good guy.  Runs a lot.   After a few, I headed out to get some non-carb grub, checked into my hotel and get rested up.  It was going to be an early, long, and cold Saturday!  I didn’t sleep particularly well on Friday night.  My room was too hot.  Even with the freezing temperatures outside and the heater turned off in the room, I was cooking.  It must have been the ambient heat from the rooms near me.  I even put the fan on the AC unit blowing a bit to cool it off.  It didn’t help much.

I got up super early and went through my morning ritual.  Coffee, food, shower, check racing vest, pin number, check vest again, etc.  I was staying just a little over a mile from the start so got to the start about 20 minutes before the pre-race meeting.  I took my pre-race pic with Mile 90 Photography (mile90.com) and chatted with a few of the other runners.  Shortly after directions from the RD, we were summoned to the starting line and the race began!  I fell in with the front pack and we were cruising along somewhere around a 8:30-9:30 pace.  It felt easy and it warmed me up so I just hung out there.  Little by little some of the runners would settle into a slower pace and drop off.  At one point, I sipped on my hydration hose and nothing came out.  I fiddled with it and panicked a little thinking it was broken.  What would I do?  What could I use?  I squeezed it and felt a slight crunch.  I squeezed it again and sucked on the tube and drank a Tailwind Slush for the first part of the sip!  It was so cold, it had frozen!  This Louisiana boy is not accustomed to that!!  It happened a few other times until it was warm enough to stay a liquid.  Craziness!  Anyway, at this point, a few of us were doing our thing and leap-frogging between first, second, and third places.  By mile 11, I was alone in first place and just settled in.  At some point along the way, the eventual winner caught me and we leap frogged a bit until he opened up a pretty good gap between us.  I just ran my race on feel and tried to enjoy myself as much as possible.  I tried not to pressure myself.  I had just come off of a good race at AT100 and this was just some extra fun.  I ran a PR for the first 50 miles at 7hrs 30 min and some change.  That felt pretty good.  I would occasionally feel a little something here in a foot or there in a quad, but for the most part I felt strong.  I was running in my Altra Escalante until I opted to change into something thicker.  Although most of the crushed limestone was finely packed, there were some larger rocks that would poke and hurt my feet occasionally.  I already had well over 700 road miles on those things anyway.  Great shoe.  

As the miles wore on, my pace slowed.  I would allow myself short walk breaks here and there.  Though I felt like I was running an 8:30, I’d look down and my pace was more like 10-11:30.  It happens.  My stomach was doing well and I was loving the chicken broth and coke.  I’d have a nice turbo charge for a few miles out of each aid station.  Speaking of, these aid stations were great.  They were very attentive, helpful, and quick.  I actually sat for a minute at a few when I was going through my drop bags for things.  I didn’t let myself get too comfy though.  In fact, I remember saying a few times, “You guys are awesome, but I gotta get up and go.  Getting too comfy in here!”  then I’d bolt!  

The sun went down and with it any semblance of warmth.  I had heard that first place had about a 35 minute lead.  I figured I had a chance to catch him if he slowed down a lot.  We’d see what the night would bring.  I was content with my current pace.  If I kept it up, I’d have a huge PR and possibly hold on to 2nd place.  Then it happened - shortly after mile 90, I saw headlamps behind me.  I thought it was a strong runner named Matthew that I met from Oklahoma City.  I dug deep and was much more intentionally with my pace and short rests.  This course allows you to see a long way back in sections so it was hard to tell how far back the lights were.   I dimmed my light as much as possible so they wouldn’t see me as well and just grinded out the miles.  After the last aid station, I had 7 miles to go.  I was determined to run the whole thing.  I pretty much did.  I kept looking back for fear of being caught.   I was tired, but I kept running hard.  I was ready to be done.  Finally, I entered Ottawa and was in the home stretch.  No one behind me.  I just kept running.  The turnoff to the finish actually surprised me.  I was there!  I ran all the way through the finish line!  It felt so good!  I finished with a time of 17:26:56, 2nd place, and a PR!  As I walked into the Celebration Hall, I saw the first place finisher sitting there.  I asked, “Man, how long have you been sitting there?” He said, “Only 5 minutes!  You almost caught me!”  We chatted a bit.  He told me that with 3.5 miles left, he was moving slow and looked back and saw my headlamp.  His pacer said, “Come on, let’s go!”  And they ran from me.  I hadn’t even seen them!  I can’t help but think I may have ran even harder if I knew he was that close.  I looked back and my last 4 miles were run at 9:54, 9:33, 8:48, and 8:34.  Like AT100 three weeks before, it was another strong finish.  It feels good to be able to turn it on at the end of a long race and still have something left in the tank to draw from.  I’ll keep fine tuning and working to get better and stronger!

The Kansas Rails-to-trails was a great race and well supported.  I do believe I will be running with these guys again.

For now, I rest.  There are more races to come!

[ri0tdude]

Arkansas Traveler 100

I had the pleasure of running the Arkansas Traveler 100 this weekend near Perryville, AR.  What an amazing experience and well organized race!

Jen, Autumn and I arrived on Friday in time to check in, eat, then walk around Perryville for a few.  Turns out they were having a Goat Festival that weekend featuring a fashion show of goats in Lingerie!?  Glad I would be busy running a race!  After buying a couple things from the local flea market we headed back to Camp Ouachita for the pre-race meeting.  We got all the particulars of the race, rules, markings, etc. and met up with a few friends from Tulsa area and met some new friends.  Since we don’t partake of carbs much, we decided to forego the pre-race spaghetti and go check into our motel and hit the local steakhouse, Colton’s.  It didn’t disappoint!  We returned to the Super 8 motel and I went through all of my gear and checked it twice.  Like the party animals we are, we were in bed by 8PM.  I slept well until about midnight, then I was up and down until about 3:15 when I decided it was time to get up.  I had my coffee, ate my turkey sandwich and took a shower(yeah, for some reason I like to do that before I spend 20 something hours in my own stank).  We were about 30 minutes away from the start/finish so we left around 4:45 to be there for 6AM start.  I still had to get my race bib and do the morning check in.  

My parents, who were taking a week of vacation nearby, came to help with crewing.  They’re pros with helping crew me by now.  They joined us at the start/finish and we reviewed driving, supply and logistics.  By then it was close to starting time.  My friend Scott Smaligo came by echoed my thoughts, “I’m just ready to start this thing!”  We took pictures next to the “Arkansas Traveller 100 sign” together, I hugged and kissed my family and I joined the runners on the road for the start!

Autumn is having a good time while we plan.  

I ran back to Jen for one last kiss and was back with the other runners shortly before the gunshot(literally).  I think we were all surprised when it went off.  We took off down the mile of pavement before we entered the rocky, dirty, and often foot-hurtiness that would be the rest of the race.  We all settled in and almost immediately started separating.  My A goal was to finish in under 20 hours, but with the much warmer weather than I anticipated I would just take what the course gave me.  The morning was cool and breezy so I decided to try to get some good mileage in before the heat.  I ended up running with a strong runner named Sam for a little while.  We chatted as we made our way down the packed gravel road.  He was a principal at an elementary school from Michigan.  Nice guy.  I heard he ended up falling and having to drop later on.  I looked him up but haven’t been able to find him online.  It looked like he was doing great until he fell.  Praying he’s fine.  

After about 8 miles, we ended up on the Ouachita trail which was really rocky, but really fun.  About half way through the roughly 8? miles of trail I hit the Brown’s Creek aid station for the second time.  I remember telling the lady, “That was fun!” while pointing at the trail I just dropped out of.  She pointed to more trail across the street and said, “Well, go get you some more!”  I grabbed a strip of bacon, as I had the first time I hit this station, and took off.  However, this part of the trail was not as fun.  It felt like at least 2 miles of ascent.  Very rocky.  There were definitely still some fun parts before we dropped out of the trail and back onto the jeep and gravel roads.  I opted to wear my Altra Timp trail shoes on this first section due to the trails.  It was a good choice for this part.  Great shoe!  Because so much of this course was so rocky, I ended up switching to my Altra Olympus around mile 48 to finish out the race.  They provided more cushion and gave my feet some relief.  

For some reason, I seem to hit my lows in the early stages of these races.  Around mile 30 as it was heating up, I was running on some parts of the trail that provide little coverage.  My stomach was getting a little funky.  I slowed down.  I power hiked all of the uphills and gave my stomach time to recover.  I was having trouble keeping up with my hydration and slowing down helped.  I knew I was hovering around the top 10 runners, but I just wanted to run my race.  I’d meet my day pit crew (my parents) every 16 miles and we’d refill what needed to be refilled, I’d lube what needed to be lubed, and change what needed to be changed.  My daughters joined the crew at mile 48.  It was so good to see them!  Kayla flew in from California and Kristin drove up from Louisiana with their husbands and we used the race as an excuse for a mini reunion of sorts.  Seeing them certainly gave me an extra boost!  Kristin ran with me for a bit from Copperhead aid station.  Loved it!  Also, at this section, I could see the other runners coming back from the turnaround.  Some guys were missing….and I was 7th!  Nice!  Evidently, I had passed a few guys who needed more time at one of the crewed aid stations and didn’t even realize it.  Shortly after, I crossed them as they were still running to the turnaround. A couple of them looked like they were struggling.  As always, I encouraged them and ran on.  It was encouraging crossing the other runners and seeing the smiles, getting high fives, and seeing their determination.  You feel and see a full range of emotions when running an ultra.  Excitement, pain, sorrow, determination, joy….

I was a bit behind pace to get my sub 20, but I’d press on with what my body gave me.  I had lost quite a bit of time in the heat but the night was coming and along with it cooler temps.  My brother was going to join me for the final 16 miles so I was just doing what I could until then.  I’d also get to see my Jen when I picked him up.  I was really anxious to see her.  She was supposed to meet me and take over earlier, but my dad was worried about her on some of those messed up roads at night with just her and Autumn(she’s 5) so they stayed on a little longer.  

Running in the dark, just before my second crossing of Bahama Mama’s aid station at mile 72.6 I almost stepped on a copperhead.  I had seen 3 other snakes on the trail but they weren’t poisonous.  This guy, though he wasn’t huge, would have ended my run.  After i left the aid station, I was so paranoid and watching the ground for snakes that I tripped on a rock, hit my knees, hands, and rolled.  Side note:  Judo and ju-jitsu prepare you for all kinds of things.  Due to my training, when I fall on the trails, my body knows whether to just eat the fall or roll.  Rolling saved my knees and hands big time on this tumble.  Once I was back on my feet, I did inventory.  I had a few little gashes on each knee, my palms were scratched and bruised, and my right wrist hurt.  I made sure I hadn’t busted my hydration bladder and took a few steps.  Everything felt fine ok.  I sped up….still no hurting.  Awesome!  I kept cruising until I fell again a few miles later!  Grrrr….  This time, I didn’t roll and jammed my right wrist again.  Ouch.  Might have to check on that after the race.  One other time, I twisted my foot on a rock and hit the top of it really hard.  That’ll leave a mark.  I’ll post a post race pic.  It left a nice bruise.  

Throughout much of the race I had been leap frogging with a nice guy, and strong runner named Steven.  This was his 10th 100 miler and he had only been running them for about 3 years.  We’d cross on the trail and meet at just about all the aid stations and encourage each other.  It’s hard to explain to non-trail-runner-ultra people the dynamic of encouraging and helping people you are technically competing against.  I love it.  I love seeing people accomplish this stuff and if my encouragement and competing against them helps spur them onto greater achievements, then that’s a really good thing.

I picked up my brother for the last 16.  We ended up hanging with Zack and Daniel, his pacer and doing some leap frogging with them too.  They were broth from the Tulsa area and I had met Daniel before on a training run.  It was Zack’s first 100 miler and he was killing it.  Though he was struggling with some leg issues, he was still moving well.  My brother is a really fast hiker so he would pass me power hiking the inclines and I’d catch him on the flats and downhills.  He told me to go ahead and go if I felt like I could and wanted to take off.  When we finally reached the last aid station and I realized that I had 6.6 miles to go.  It was on.  I was ready to be finished.  I was ready to see my wife again.  I took off.  With about 6 miles to go I met up with Zack and Daniel again.  I told them I was ready to be done and I may blow up shortly, but I was cruising.  I ran almost the entire 6.6 final miles at a really good clip.  I power hiked one short incline and had to squat under a tree over the trail (it was hilarious because I could hardly squat!)  When I came out to Crossroads check in, I was 2.4 miles from the finish!  I ran harder.  

When I got out on the road for the final mile I was so pumped.  I knew there was a final uphill coming so I backed off a little. A woman who was on the side of the road with a headlamp said, “You know there’s a runner not far ahead of you and they way you’re running, I think you can catch him.”  I said, out loud, “It’s ON!” and dropped the hammer.  With about ½ a mile to go I saw 2 headlights, the runner and his pacer.  They were fast walking.  I thought about turning off my headlamp for the sneak attack, but didn’t.  I should have.  I could tell the moment his pacer saw me.  His headlamp spun around and their headlamps started bobbing fast.  I ran harder….still closing the gap, but was running out of gas and running out of road.  Strava shows that I actually got below a 7 minute mile here.  This uphill was killing my legs and they were still moving fast.  I tried, but I couldn’t catch him!  When I crossed the finish line, I found out that I was chasing a guy by the name of Daniel(another one) I had met at the Full Moon 50K.  Good guy and very strong runner.  He said, “Dude, where did you come from??”  He left the last aid station (Pumpkin Patch) at 1:06 and I left it at 1:43 and in 6.6 miles I almost caught him.  It made for a fun, competitive ending.  I finished in 20:24:45 and he in 20:24:10.

This was a great race on a challenging course.  The aid stations were top notch and everything was well organized.  There was definitely a great atmosphere out there.  I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.

On a side note:  I had my phone loaded with music and audiobooks for this race and planned on using them when I felt like it.  Well, I never felt like it.  I thought about it during some of the low times when I was questioning why I was even doing this crazy thing….or to distract myself from the pain, but decided to just stay in the moment on this one.  It was a good journey in my head as well as on my feet.

Once again, thanks to my parents for their help and unwavering support.  Thank you to my kids who came out to help and cheer me on.  And a BIG THANK YOU to my wife who puts up with my training, my hyper-organized race prep, and grouchiness when I’m spent.  I love being on this journey with you. Last, and most of all, I thank God for the ability and freedom to enjoy doing this thing that I enjoy so much.  

On Sunday evening, my parents cooked a big gumbo at Maumelle park.  We all hung out as a family and had a great time.  

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Chatting with someone during a race and then leaving them dropping them like a rock.....  (from #runnersgrumblr)

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Eating dinner after interval training #runnersgrumblr

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The art of trail running #runnersgrumblr

What you imagine trail running to be like

The reality

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A 126.2 Mile Test

On Friday, February 13th, 2015 I started running in a race that I thought would never end.  I was tested to my core and feel like I passed the test.  I had run the Rouge-Orleans a few years ago as part of a 3 person team.  My plan was to run it solo last year, but the event didn't take place so I ran Cajun Coyote as my first 100 miler.  Looking back, I'm glad I did a different race for my first try at 100.  The RO is just not a good race for a first time 100 mile or higher.  

As I said, I was to begin on Friday the 13th.  Interesting.  My race bib was #13.  More interesting.  My phone was stolen 1 hour before my 8PM start.  Not good.  Especially considering it was going to be my sole piece of electronic equipment for this race.  I had playlists and some audiobooks to keep my mind occupied.  I was also going to use the phone to track my mileage, broadcast my location, post, keep up with my crew, etc.  I had battery packs to keep it charged up and everything.  But now it was gone.  I left it in the bathroom when I changed into my race attire.  When I realized where it was I SPRINTED to get it but it was gone. I sprinted back and opened "Find my iPhone" on my iPad.  Whoever took it knew enough to turn it off so it couldn't be tracked.  I knew then that I wouldn't see it again.  Well, I was frustrated and aggravated.  My game plan was messed up.  I had to take a step back and regroup so that I wouldn't be defeated before the start.  My dad said, "Stay calm.  you can use my phone to keep in touch with us."  That was good, but I still wouldn't be able to use any tracking or have any music/audiobooks.  At that point, I decided to just let it go.  I had a race to run.  I couldn't let this derail my many weeks of training to prepare for this thing.  

My mom and dad were crewing me.  My brother planned on crewing me the whole time, but had some health issues a few weeks before and we weren't sure if he should be there for the duration.  My awesome parents volunteered to handle crewing duties for Friday night into Saturday and my brother would come and relieve them about noon on Saturday.  My parents ended up staying the WHOLE time!  My brother came to take their place, but they wanted to stay.  I had an awesome crew!

Well, we started at 8PM sharp.  It was myself and about 10 other runners starting this wave.  Due to the phone issue, I had no way of knowing how fast I was going so I just kept it really easy and conservative.  I spent the first few miles just talking to a few runners as we began to separate along the levee.  One guy, Sal, took off and disappeared into the dark.  He was flying!  Others fell behind....I just did my thing.  Starting an ultra at night was a first for me.  That whole night was and is a blur to me.  Things got really rough in the wee hours of the morning.  I hallucinated for the first time ever during a race.  I dodged a man putting large picture frames on the levee,  A heavy set woman was handing me flowers, and I saw a sign in the middle of the road that wasn't really there.  Weird!  I remember singing songs....loudly....to keep myself awake.  I was making stuff up.  Just singing away.  I laugh when I think of the reaction of someone sitting on their port at night seeing me with my headlamp and blinky butt light singing stupid songs...LOUDLY.  Things got so rough I actually took a 10 minute nap at one point.  Another first.  I got in the back seat of the truck and told my parents to wake me up in 10 if I didn't get up myself.  It was a much needed reset for me and I made up the time quickly.  Anyway, the night was long, but I got through it.  At this point, I was running with Sal who had run so far ahead at the start.  I found out that he was a very experienced ultra runner.  He had slowed down and we ended up talking and just running together.  The company definitely helped with the monotony of the race.  He didn't have a crew, so we kind of adopted him.  

As time progressed I was doing some power walking.  I knew that in the evening, my friend, Edie would be there to pace me.  I justified some of this walking by saying, "I want to save some energy to run when Edie gets here."  Whatever.  lol  Truth is, I was tired.  The problem with walking was that I would start to fall asleep while moving forward.  I was all over the top of the levee.  I'm surprised I didn't fall off.  Both my ankles were hurting in the front above my foot.  Especially, the right one.  I had experienced this before for Cajun Coyote.  I would just stop and stretch them as much as I could from time to time.  

The day wore on and on and on.  My nutrition plan was to use Trailwind nutrition in my bladder pack and Vespa cv-25 every 4 hours.  I also had pretzels and some cliff bars that I would eat as I felt I needed.  I would also drink Gatorade at my aid stops.  I have to say, Tailwind nutrition is great.  I didn't have 1 cramp for this race!  At one point late in the day I noticed my hands were swollen.  I realized that with the Tailwind, Pretzels, and Gatorade, I was taking in too much salt.  I began to just drink water and within a few hours, my sausage fingers were back to normal size.  

At about mile 96 or so, Edie arrived to pace me.  This was the boost I needed!  We took off at a pretty fast pace.  I felt strong.  Crazy how much of this sport is mental.  After a little while, my body reminded me that it had just run almost 100 miles and it was tired.  So we slowed me down a bit. For the rest of the run I was able to latch on to Edie and just do what she said.  We'd run 5 minutes and walk a minute.  Then 4/1.  Then 3/1.  This really broke up the sections between the aid stations and helped me mentally.  She was having me run more than the 5,4, or 3 minutes....and I knew it, but it was ok.  I was ready to be done.  It's tough - I was getting bogged down with the last 26 miles.  "ONLY a marathon to go" just sounds nuts when you've run 100 miles and your body and mind are spent.  We'd talk a bit in between long stretches of silence.  Eventually, we were at the last relay point before the finish.  We had 4 miles to go!  We ran a good portion of this leg and once we actually found the finish line - it looked so good!  I ran to it with all I had(which was not very fast at that point).

I crossed the finish line to the cheers of my parents, my brother, and Edie.  I was so happy to be DONE!  29:20:52 was my official finishing time.  1st in my wave.  Once the other waves were done, I found out that it was good enough for 2nd place!  

I can't thank my parents, my brother, and Edie enough for the help during this race.  It was definitely a team effort! 

[whatisultra]

YOUR FIRST 100 MILER

The first ten miles:

The last ten miles:

[whatisultra]

FINISHING AN ULTRA

How you think you look:

How you actually look:

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Today I will do what others won’t, So tomorrow I can do what others can’t.

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#iranfar #notdoneyet #northshoremarathon #runhawaii #2manyhashtags

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This pic pretty much sums up how I feel after a crazy day of dropping my wife off at the airport, packing, and getting all of our junk ready to sell. (Taken with Instagram)

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126.2 Miles - Check!

What an adventure we had this past weekend!  This weekend's Rouge-Orleans Race was, without a doubt, the most physically demanding endeavor I have EVER accomplished!  I could not have asked for a better team to run with.  Jason and Ben are both solid runners with great attitudes.  We had a great time.  Even in the wee hours of the morning when we were tired, beat up, and hurting, we got along great and laughed a lot.  I appreciate those guys and hope to run with them again.  Jason's brother, Rodney drove for us and was such a huge help and encouragement.  He was such a blessing.  

About the race....

First off, the race was well organized and information was given out in abundance.  Kudos to Jeff and the rest of the team.

The conditions need to be explained.  Ever run when the temperature is in the low 30's?  Ever run into 20mph winds when the temperature is in the low 30's?  Ever run on gravel into 20mph winds when the temperature is in the low 30s?  Ever run at night, with only a headlamp to see, alone, on gravel into 20mph winds when the temperature is in the low 30s?  Ever run...well you get the idea.  Holy smoke!  I found out a whole lot about myself this weekend.  We knew as the week progressed that it was going to be cold and did our best to dress accordingly, but it was tough.  The solo finisher from CANADA, right after he crossed the finish line said, "It doesn't get this cold in CANADA!!!" The hardest part was leaving the warmth of the vehicle to run your next leg of the race.  It was pretty brutal until your body warmed up.

Here's the way the race worked for us.  The three of us were to run the 126.2 miles in relay fashion.  There were 30 exchange points throughout the race set up for 6 man teams.  We exchanged runners at every other point.  Our Suburban would bring the team to the next point for the next runner in line to exchange.  Below is the breakdown of each of our runs.  Jason was runner 1, Ben was runner 2, and myself as runner 3.

Our wave started at 1pm on Saturday.  We all ran really well for our first legs.  I averaged a 7 minute/mile on that one.  After my run, we had to wear the required night running gear:  A reflective vest, headlamp, and taillight.  The temperature dropped drastically as the sun went down.  One problem with running in the cold is that you forget to hydrate properly.  I didn't realize how much I had sweat out on the first leg, so 9 miles into my second leg my calves began to cramp up.  Also, as you can see above, my second leg was supposed to be 11.854 miles.  Well, when you are cramping, every step counts!  When I got to where some groups had made the exchange, I didn't see my crew.  I called them and they informed me that the actual exchange was about a mile further!  I wasn't happy with that situation. My second leg ended up being 12.68 miles with a large portion of it running into the wind and alone.  My face was so cold, I could barely talk, and I was so fried I couldn't put my thoughts together to say anything.  I sounded like that kid on Fat Albert who talked funny (Mushmouth?).  By that point, I had run 22 miles with another 22 to go.  Lesson learned - HYDRATE! and replenish those electrolytes.  I took my salt tablets with a bunch of water and drank a few Powerades as I massaged my legs in the back seat of the suburban.  I was much better about drinking during and between my segments.  

From talking to Ben, we were both having that weird cramping in the same place in our calves where we've never cramped before (inner calf area).  I think it was partially due to the fact that we were running in gravel and using those muscles to keep ourselves stabilized.  

The rest of the night was somewhat of a blur.  We were either resting from just having finished a run, helping the guy who just ran, or getting ready for our next run.  Before we tagged the next guy we had to consult the maps to see if we were going to have to make any detours or anything on our run.  I managed to catnap a couple times for a at most 30 minutes total of shut-eye. 

My most interesting segment was that I got to run through the Bonnet Carre Spillway.  It was somewhere between 3 and 4am and it was pretty cool running where the historic waters had flowed not too long ago.  Other interesting sites:  A major shooting star, cows, factories, and HUGE boats cruising alongside of you in the Mississippi.

I spent the majority of my runs alone, in my head, thinking, focusing on where I was stepping, trying to think warm thoughts, and questioning my sanity.  The distance wore on me.  My pace dwindled.

Leg 1: 9.33 Miles - 3:43PM-4:49PM - 7:01 pace

Leg 2: 12.68 Miles - Times unrecorded - 8:07 pace

Leg 3: 8.92 Miles - 11:10PM-12:28AM - 8:44 pace

Leg 4: 7.39 Miles - 2:51AM-3:55AM - 8:36 pace

Leg 5: 8.27 Miles - 6:55AM - 8:07 - 8:43 pace

The other tough mental game was the fact that EVERY one of my segments ended up longer than it was supposed to be.  I was measuring them using my Garmin watch and Runkeeper on my iPhone.  They both agreed on all distances(except leg 2 - my Runkeeper freaked out on that one).  I was supposed to run a total of 42.922 but ended up running 46.59 miles!  Which is really cool, but messes with your head when you think you're almost there and feel like you're about to die.

I had the privilege of running the last segment of the race.  The finish line NEVER looked so good!  My team joined me to run through the finish line together!  What a joy!  We rejoiced in accomplishing our goal!!

We finished in 19 hours and 3 minutes for first place for the 3 Men Relay "Men's Running Store" category and second place in the 3 Men relay category!

I realized how much the run took out of me when I got home.  From the end of the race until I hit the scale at home, I had consumed:  2 pulled pork sandwiches, 3 Powerades, a banana, 2 cups of coffee, a pastry pie thing, a Rally's bacon burger, large fries, and a large sweet tea and still weighed 6 pounds less than when the race started the day before.  I'm happy to tell you that after consulting with Dominos Pizza, Mr. Whey protein, Jiff, some of their friends, and lots of liquids that I am back at my pre-race weight.  

I was asked right after the race if I will do it again or if I would do it solo next year.  My first inclination was to shout with every fiber of my being, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"  Instead, I simply replied, "I need time to forget about the pain of this one."  One day post race if you were to ask me again I would say, without hesitation, "Absolutely!"

Crossing the finish line with Ben and Jason!  

The final results are in: We finished in 19:03:32

With an average pace of 9:04

[ri0tdude]

The Road to Rouge - Rouge Orleans 126.2 mile Adventure

As many of you know, I am a part of a three man team taking on the Rouge Orleans this weekend.  The Rouge Orleans is a 126.2 mile run from Baton Rouge to New Orleans along the levee the whole way.  Some people are running it solo, some 2, 3, or 6 man relay teams.  As I run my sections for our team, I'll be responsible for just under 43 miles during our estimated 18 hour dip into insanity. 

"How did you get yourself into this?" you might ask.  Well, shortly after the Jazz Half Marathon, where I ended up with huge PR and an annoying stress fracture, a friend of mine, Jason, called needing a third man on their team.  I told him I REALLY wanted to, but I'd have to make sure I was healed up enough first.  I talked with God, PT people, a good friend who is a chiropractor, my family physician, other runners, my wife, children, and my dog, and came to the conclusion that if I took 6 weeks off of running and only did elliptical, I should be able to run it if I wore padded shoes instead of my vibrams.  The gravel road we'd be running on and the lack of time to build my ankles and feet back up would necessitate that.  I'll be running in a pair of Altra Lone Peaks and Brooks Pure Cadence, depending on the terrain.  

I've managed to get some significant mileage in training and I'd say that my left leg is at about 85-90% (don't tell my wife, or doctor).  Even with the injury I managed to peak at 60 miles a week in training and put in some 2-a-days and some pretty significant runs.  This week during the taper, the knee that I had ACL reconstruction on decided to bark a little bit, but nothing of significance.

Our team is pretty excited about pushing ourselves to do something that we've never attempted before.  I'm praying that God will sustain our bodies and minds as we trek through the cold.  The latest forcast is for 25 degrees Saturday night.  Oh and the wind on the levee makes it feel about 10 degree colder...yay.  I'm confident in our God given abilities to get it done.  

If you'd like to follow our adventure, we will be posting updates on my facebook, tweeting from my twitter account (@davidtheriot) and using the hashtag #TUF3 for our team, Team Ultra Fit (3 man team).  Our wave hits the trail at 1pm on Saturday.  Also, all teams will be tweeting with the hashtag of #RO12 if you'd like to see how everyone is doing.  I'll try to post some pictures and video of the hilarity and delirium that is sure to take place!  

We appreciate your prayers and support!!

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I was thinking....

I see men with big dreams that they want to accomplish in life and for the Lord. That's a good thing. However, many lack the will to work and prepare. It's evident when, while on the journey, they hit a road block - instead of redirecting their energy and doing what they are able to do until the Lord opens another door, they do nothing and let the journey end and the dream die. They become bitter, resentful, and blame others for what could have been and didn't happen. Let's be men of action, not men of excuses.

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"I've got The Father on my side, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and 2/3 of the angels...What do you think I'm going to do? Sit down and cry?"

Leonard Ravenhill